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Adult Recommendations

Carter & Lovecraft, by Jonathan Howard

After a disturbing encounter with a serial killer, police detective Daniel Carter is ready for the (relatively) quiet life of a private investigator. When he unexpectedly inherits a bookstore from a relative he’s never heard of, though, he finds himself in the middle of an investigation that gets stranger by the minute. People dying in impossible ways, a disturbing community of dead-eyed men and terrifying women, and a rift in reality that a madman calls The Twist … if Carter can’t find some answers soon, it may be the end of the world we know, and the beginning of something horrifying.

Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell

In London, England 1855 social and political upheaval abound. Local pubs and churches, once thought of as safe havens, are threatened with murder and mayhem. High-ranking officials in the British Government aren't even safe; a handful have been killed in their own homes. There have even been several failed assassination attempts on Queen Victoria. An anarchist gang or individual is creatively and brutally killing people causing chaos throughout London. These vivid depictions of Victorian England are in David Morrell’s captivating latest mystery, “Inspector of the Dead.” The opium-eater, Thomas De Quincey, his daughter, and a couple of newly assigned detectives return to solve the mystery in Morrell’s second book in this series. They attempt to protect Queen Victoria from any future assassination attempts and find who is causing chaos throughout London before England’s government completely collapses. As the evidence mounts, try to solve the mystery before the detectives piece together the clues!

Liar, Temptress, Solider, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

Many books give testament to men’s bravery and sacrifice during the Civil War. In this book, the stories of four courageous women who dared to act upon their beliefs and become spies are detailed. A wealthy abolitionist in Richmond, Virginia, Elizabeth Van Lew, took considerable risks to operate a successful spy ring for the North, penetrating the Confederate White House. Knowing the possible consequences of her actions yet driven to fight for the Union, Emma Edmonds disguised herself as a man and joined the Army of the Potomac. Rose O’Neale Greenhow, a widow living in Washington, used her feminine wiles to seduce Northern politicians into disclosing information she then sent to Southern generals via her young daughter. Brash Belle Boyd, too, used her feminine charms to seduce men on both sides of the war, serving as a courier and spy for the Confederate Army.

Abbott’s extensive research and storytelling ability combine to ensure a captivating glimpse of this little-known part of the Civil War.